Thanks to the NYT, we already knew the folks at NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) noted a "safety concern" after the driver's door on the new US-Spec 2008 Smart Fortwo popped open during a side-impact crash test. Although the little Smart got a five star rating for protecting the head and chest of the dummy we just learned a lot from, the door "issue" could potentially "increase the likelihood of occupant ejection." Ouch. Well, now IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has taken a 40 MPH run at an offset barrier in the small-yet-feels-somehow-smaller Smart for the US market. Although the video and ratings haven't yet been made public, somehow the video of the crash has made it out in to the wilds of the web.

Now it's here — on the not-so-wilds. When NHTSA tested the ForTwo in a frontal crash test, it received four stars on the driver side and only three on the passenger side and from what our uninformed eyes can tell — the A-pillar looks to be in pretty good shape with no evidence of deformity. So is the Smart Fortwo for you? Well, we're thinking it'll depend on what those crash tests tell us and only time will tell what the IIHS thinks. [via YouTube]